Spring break in winter

Local golf courses and car washes can thank Mother Nature for a very busy day Sunday - despite the calendar indicating it's winter.

Area residents were out in droves taking advantage of unseasonable weather - the high temperature was a very comfortable 70 degrees.

Officials at Star Hill Golf Club termed the day "wonderful" and added that calls for tee times later in the week were also strong.

While Sunday's weather was unseasonable for this time of year, it wasn't all that long ago that Onslow County enjoyed such springlike temperatures in January.

"In 2005, the record high for January seventh was 78 degrees," meteorologist Casey Quell of the National Weather Service said.

The warming trend is expected to continue for the entire southeast during the next few days. Tuesday should bring the highest temperatures of the week with predictions calling for a not-quite-record-setting 75 degree day - temperatures will need to surpass the 78 degree mark in order to be record setting.

Sunday's sunny skies and warm temperature were especially welcome after temperatures last week dropped into the teens at night.

For Juan Tyler of Jacksonville, Sunday's great weather offered a day filled with outdoor opportunities.

Early in the day he attended an informal gathering of the Jacksonville Model Airplane Club, which used the good weather to get out and fly their radio controlled planes. Then he decided to cast a line or two.

"I really hadn't planned on going fishing today. But the weather is so pretty it's hard not to get out," said Tyler from the banks of the New River.

He wasn't the only one taking advantage of the weather to do a little fishing.

David Elston of Wallace and Ryan Lanier of Beulaville also spent the afternoon fishing.

"When the weather's good, we're out," said Lanier.

Unlike the past month, the New River Waterfront Park was busy Sunday afternoon with boat after boat "putting in," he said.

For Greg Murphy of Duplin County, conditions were finally perfect for getting his boat in the water.

"I've wanted to check out some engine work I recently had done on the boat, but the weather the past few weeks didn't cooperate," Murphy said.

Randy Eubanks, his son Randall and son-in-law Derrick Trott also used the ideal weather to get their family boats in the water for a winter check.

"During the summer we get out on the boat about every other weekend," Randall said.

Generally they use their boats for tubing and just cruising, but water temperatures of below 50 degrees in the Atlantic Ocean were not as cooperative as the air temps.

"This is great weather for getting out on the boat," Randall said. "But tubing? Forget it, it's still way too cold for that."

Local parks and playgrounds also were buzzing on Sunday.

At Phillips Park, Jacksonville residents Keisha Brown, Falon Loughner and Wendy White came to the conclusion that the weather was much too nice to stay indoors with their children.

"We all talked about it this morning and decided to take our kids out for lunch and then spend time outside at the park," said Brown.

"If it wasn't for the weather being so good, I'd probably be home doing laundry and other chores," she added.

Cpls. Danna Berry and Matt Simpkins along with their families planned an outdoor picnic at the park.

"A few days ago I saw the weather forecast for the weekend and I knew we just had to get out," Sara Simpkins said.

Contact staff writer Kevin Forsythe at kforsythe@freedomenc.com or 910-219-8449.